Miyamoto Musashi

Even though there have been many talented swordsmen in Japanese history, Miyamoto Musashi is widely regarded as the best. He was born in 1584, and at the age of 13, he killed and defeated a professional fighter in single combat, establishing his reputation as a talented swordsman. He was a ronin, or masterless samurai, who honed his skills over the years by duking it out with and overpowering masters from all around Japan.

His preferred weapon was the nodachi, a long two-handed Japanese sword, but he also devised his own combat method using two swords called the nito ichi-ryu. He is supposed to have been so skilled that when he was thirty years old, he vowed to only use wooden swords in battle.

According to most reports, Musashi never lost a battle throughout his lifetime despite frequently facing up against numerous renowned opponents from all around Japan. The most well-known of them was Sasaki Kojiro, a renowned and expert swordsman in his own right, but Musashi quickly destroyed him with his wooden blade.

• Japanese swordsman(Kensei), philosopher, strategist, writer and rōnin

Born: c. 1584

Died: 13 June 1645 (aged 60–61) Higo Province, Japan